Pet suffocation is a serious concern. Many people do not realize that pets, no matter their size or strength, can have a hard time getting bags or containers off their head once they are stuck. Not only do dogs and cats lack thumbs to help them grab and remove the bag or container, but the bag or container quickly forms a vacuum-like seal around their head as they breathe in and quickly deplete the air within the bag or container. As this happens, the oxygen levels quickly decline, and the carbon dioxide levels quickly rise. The entrapped pet panics from not being able to breathe normally and eventually dies from asphyxiation.
Not surprisingly, 3 to 5 pets suffocate from bags or containers each week in the United States. According to a recent survey of 1,354 respondents whose pets suffocated in bags or containers, 72 percent of pets suffocated in chip or snack bags, with the remainder, as a result of a pet food or treat bag, liners of cereal boxes, bread containers or other plastic containers. Approximately 25 percent of the bags or containers had been in or near the garbage, 22 percent on a coffee or side table, 13 percent on the counter, 6 percent outside, 6 percent on the kitchen or dining table, 3 percent in or near the recycling bin, 20 percent in other known locations, and 5 percent in unknown locations. Additionally, 39 percent of respondents were home when the pet suffocated. Of those who were out, 18 percent were gone for less than 15 minutes.
As a temporary solution, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends storing food in plastic containers with an opening too small for a pet's head, serving snacks in a bowl rather than eating them out of a bag, and cutting bags along one side and the bottom before disposal. Nevertheless, the AVMA fails to address the need for a safe and convenient solution to prevent pet suffocation.
Therefore, a need exists to improve over the prior art and more particularly, for a safety device that prevents animal suffocation because of a bag or container.